Despite harsh winter, CityLink operating right on schedule

Despite the ridiculous amounts of snowfall Peoria has sustained this season, CityLink has played an almost-perfect game.

"We had one bus a little late one morning leaving the garage because the operator had trouble getting in," John Anderson, the Peoria transit company's assistant general manager of maintenance, said Tuesday. "As soon as he got here, he hit the road, and we had full service all day long."

CityLink has operated its published schedule each day this winter, Anderson said. More importantly, none of its drivers has been involved in an accident.

That record has come despite some CityLink patrons waiting in the street for buses, according to Anderson. Snow accumulation, plowing and lack of shoveling by private entities have obstructed benches and shelters at some bus stops, although CityLink has an employee who attempts to clear those spaces.

"Our drivers have to be extra careful," Anderson said. "We've had so much snow this year, everybody's having trouble finding places to put it."

One of the places CityLink plans to put it is in the street, in at least one location. According to Anderson, the city has agreed to dispose of snow that disrupts activity at the CityLink transit center Downtown.

CityLink employees will need to push the snow onto Harrison Street, where city crews can deal with it, Anderson said. That procedure is likely to happen if it snows heavily again.

Anderson said he has had no complaints with the city's snow-clearing efforts this winter. Nor with CityLink drivers' efforts, which were rewarded with free coffee and doughnuts recently.

"It's incredible," Anderson said. "They've been out there every day, we haven't shut down and our drivers have been bringing them home safe."

Nick Vlahos can be reached at 686-3285 or nvlahos@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @VlahosNick.